Hey ya'll! I'm currently in my first year of Teach For America and am looking at applying to law school next year. I graduated from a competitive school with a 3.68 GPA and have a 176 LSAT. I think my numbers make me a solid applicant at many schools. However, I have the following conduct concerns from my undergraduate career that I will have to disclose:

1) an underage alcohol incident where I got a university warning freshman year (off the record)2) kicked out of summer study abroad summer post freshman year for drinking too much and not doing work, no warning or probation given 3) fall of sophomore year had a panic attack in a university building and got given disciplinary probation (off the record)4) entered a building on campus I was not allowed spring of junior year. didn't do anything in the building just wasn't allowed to be there. got suspended for the summer semester (not on transcript but on record)nothing went through the actually legal system just the university.I received intensive care through a partial hospitalization program and an inpatient program following these incidents and have rectified the behavioral issues that caused them. I have also been volunteering with an organization that helps people with the same psychiatric disability that I have to give back for all the help I received. I was stable through my senior year and this year of work.

Should I apply to law school or should I work longer? I have the option to teach for a year beyond TFA and receive a masters in education from Johns Hopkins-- would this help? How much should I disclose about my now treated psychiatric condition (or should I leave it out?)?I'm looking to do public interest law so scholarship money would be great but I feel a major concern is getting in in the first place. I'd love to get a MSW/JD from UT or Arizona State but I'm not sure how reasonable this goal is. Any advice or insight is greatly appreciated!

srk737 wrote:Hey ya'll! I'm currently in my first year of Teach For America and am looking at applying to law school next year. I graduated from a competitive school with a 3.68 GPA and have a 176 LSAT. I think my numbers make me a solid applicant at many schools. However, I have the following conduct concerns from my undergraduate career that I will have to disclose:

1) an underage alcohol incident where I got a university warning freshman year (off the record)2) kicked out of summer study abroad summer post freshman year for drinking too much and not doing work, no warning or probation given 3) fall of sophomore year had a panic attack in a university building and got given disciplinary probation (off the record)4) entered a building on campus I was not allowed spring of junior year. didn't do anything in the building just wasn't allowed to be there. got suspended for the summer semester (not on transcript but on record)nothing went through the actually legal system just the university.I received intensive care through a partial hospitalization program and an inpatient program following these incidents and have rectified the behavioral issues that caused them. I have also been volunteering with an organization that helps people with the same psychiatric disability that I have to give back for all the help I received. I was stable through my senior year and this year of work.

Should I apply to law school or should I work longer? I have the option to teach for a year beyond TFA and receive a masters in education from Johns Hopkins-- would this help? How much should I disclose about my now treated psychiatric condition (or should I leave it out?)?I'm looking to do public interest law so scholarship money would be great but I feel a major concern is getting in in the first place. I'd love to get a MSW/JD from UT or Arizona State but I'm not sure how reasonable this goal is. Any advice or insight is greatly appreciated!

I'm no expert, but I think with a powerful addenda explaining a) the underlying psychological basis of all of this, b) the fact that it's under control and c) that you're actively giving back to that same community to help others, you're in good shape for the T14. I had a friend with two legal incidences (MIP), same GPA, and a lower LSAT end up at Columbia with $$$, UChicago with $$$, and Harvard, so having disciplinary record doesn't mean you won't get money. That person took one year off between undergrad and law school, and is now doing big law.

I won't comment on working more because I'm a 0L and not at all qualified to comment on that, but just want to give you some context that I think you'd have a strong shot at Duke, Michigan, UVA etc. with $$$, if not at even higher ranked schools as well. Best of luck!